I have never been fit. I don't know where to start.

Bethani - posted on 01/13/2013
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I have always been a bigger girl. I have never worked out. I have terrible eating habits. I know this. I would like to change. I have NO idea where to begin. What kind of workouts to do, what kind of food to buy, or make. Does anyone have any tips or advice on how to give my lifestyle a complete 180?

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NANCY - posted on 04/25/2013

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hello, i new to this too. i just had my 3rd baby in august 2012 and i lost the baby weight but still have weight that i would love to conquer, lol. water seems to work and just eating right not being tempted to over eat and moving around, it doesnt matter if its cleaning bedrooms, sweeping the floors, cleaning toilets, just keep active. im here for moral support and would love the encouragement too. hope you get moviated and lose what you need.

Learning about eating clean is what really helped me. I bought one of Tosca Reno's books a few years ago and it really changed my life.

Start making small changes and be ok with the fact that there may be times when you fall off the wagon, just make sure to get back on it. Do not give up and eventually your will replace your bad habits with good ones. Being fit and healthy is all about figuring out what works best for you. You will make mistakes but learn from them and move on.

Scrambled eggs with cabbage is great for breakfast. Or get a juicer and make yourself a healthy juice for breakfast. I usually do one of those the juice i make is usually kale, spinach, celery and green apples its SO yummy and it makes me feel amazing! If you want to loose weight and feel great i would urge you to look into going gluten/grain free. It will truly truly change your life and make you as healthy as you can be. If you want to know more about it research or contact me. I have gone gluten/grain free along with my husband and kids and we don't get sick anymore and we feel great! Grains are actually more harmful to your body then helpful.

If you want to do a complete 180 lifestyle change, first of all congratulations!! Find a program that fits you, one that offers support. You have to make changes, one at a time, one day at a time. Finding the right balance with nutrition and exercise is key and can lead to long term health, which is most important.

I would take it step by step.Make a few changes that you think you are able to stick to easily and work on it from there. Little things like walking to the shop for milk in stead of driving or having steamed veggies or salad with you steak instead roasted veggies or mash or chips.Have a sparkling water with a slice of lemon instead of a coke.

Do you think you would enjoy going to a gym??? If you do it might be worth looking at what classes might interest you.I enjoy high intensity workouts, I don't feel I've worked hard enough if I'm not dripping in sweat and gasping for air at the end of a class. But, that being said I do enjoy weights and yoga as well and incorporate them into my weekly routine. My fav class is boxing which I do 2 sometimes 3 times a week.

My biggest thing is I have no self control when it comes to food. I will eat everything on my plate, just because it's there even if I'm full so I plate up smaller portions where I am less likely to overeat. Same with junk food. If I have chocolate or something like that in I will eat it all in one go so I don't keep in in the house. If I really want chocolate, ice cream or crisps I only buy a small bar or pack and I have to make a special trip. It makes you question how much you really need it and most of the time I don't bother going out.

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Tohey22 - posted on 07/07/2014

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try the 24 day challenge- a company called advocare that has been around for over 20 years has it. i actually sell the products and am on the challenge right now. the results people get from it are unreal!! im on day 7 and have lost 5.2 pounds. check out my website for details.. www.advocare.com/140649058

I am a mother of 3. I have not worked out since high school. I had no want or motivation to even try to begin to work out. I snacked all the time and my energy was non existent, even with coffee, red bull etc. A dear friend of mine introduced me to this premium lifestyle plan called Thrive by Le-vel. Thrive has changed my life! I am no longer tired all the time, I went to the gym which would have never happened before, I cant remember the last time I had a stress headache... Thrive fills in all the nutritional gaps your body is missing/craves. I am so in love with this product line not to mention it is all natural and gluten free! The best part of all of this...the time I spend with my kiddos now! No longer counting the hours till bed time and taking naps, I am loving every second of this!

I want to help people feel and be the best they can be! You want a complete 180...This is it! It is worth considering and the investment in yourself is priceless!

Never go to the grocery store hungryStop buying "snacks" for the houseCut out ALL sugarNo eating carbs after 5PMOnly drink on the weekends20 minute cardio routine every day -- walk around the blockIf you can do the above, you are well on your way

My name is Monica, I love fitness, I am a mother of four children. I am very much into helping others succeed and achieve the bodies they desire. I am a beach body fitness coach. I love the job, I love encouraging and helping any way I possibly can I run courses such as the 21 day fix, Brazilian buttlift, and slim in 6 (my favorites) if interested please let me know, or join me https://www.beachbodycoach.com/mparadise1 click join, I thank you all for listening to my interests of life. Have a wonderful day, and continue to stay fit ..

Hi Bethani! When I had my first baby I kept the craving habits and kept the baby weight. I was 20 and was embarrassed so I joined weight watchers. It really helped me. Now I got my whole family eating healthy and I go to the gym 2 times a week(in winter). But in summer I jog and walk.

Step by step. That's the only way we move forward. One of the best ways to get fit is to get more active with your kids (and like your kids!) - play tag for 10 minutes. Jump rope. Dance before dinner. Have fun together while doing this. Here's a great way to get started: http://www.fitfamilytogether.com/

Although it might seem overwhelming I'm 100% sure you can do it. Work your way up. Start by eating a little more healthy. Maybe no Coke anymore or an apple a day. You will see how it gets easier and easier to eat more healthy. At the same time go for a walk maybe twice a week. Go up to five days and then start running a little bit. Please note that these are only ideas of how you could do it. However, I am sure that it's a lot easier to start very slowly and move your way up than going "Cold Turky"! Best of luck...

I have tried a lot of different things. I joined a gym but due to money issues in our home I wasn't able to keep going. And for the last couple weeks I have been pretty discouraged. However last night I set an alarm on my phone and in my iPod to get my butt up to do a workout. I tried yoga this morning. And after my baby goes to sleep tonight I plan to start my couch to 5 k again. I have an alarm set for that as well. I have cut most red meats out of my diet. I'm working on portions. I just started using my sons divided plates to help me. Haha. The hardest part of this for me I think is to keep myself committed. I get so tired trying to keep up with my baby and my housework and work and just everyday stress. But I also know that I need to stop making excuses for myself and just start doing what is healthy. Not just for myself but for my son as well. I did join my fitness pal. I plan to start using it regularly as in the past my calorie tracking has been extremely sparatic. Thank you all for your wonderful tips and advice. I will have to also make it a habit to log on here more often. It is nice to feel like I have some support. Even if it is from people I have never met. :)

Babe, u don't need anyone to workout with; ull tend to get distracted. The key is warm up then use equipments. I myself am v shy at the gym but ask and then u can use it on ur own.

Everyone there is body conscious so don't over think that they are watching you- they prob are cause they wanna c who's watchin em.

The trick to loving ur workout if the drive- I read today that "I only start counting my workouts when it starts to hurt", so push urself cause wad doesn't challenge u, doesn't change u... Join all the fitness bodies, gym and motivation, female fitness pages on fb.,, v motivational... It drives me... Have u started working out???

find a program that offers support - the first step is making the decision and you have achieved that so congratulations! I would be happy to share the program that my husband and I worked and we have changed our entire life!! I know we cannot post brands etc on here so I want to stay in integrity, however, you are welcome to contact me anytime.

Use the My Fitness Pal app or website. You put in your goal weight and it calculates how many calories you should be eating. I am on a 1500 day diet. It has a easy to use calorie tracker. It breaks down the calories, fat, carbs, protein, sugar etc. of everything you enter. Makes you really aware of what you are taking in. You can also enter recipes and it will calculate the previous mentioned for you. You also can enter in all types of exercises and it calculates the calories burned based on your weight. Then it tells you how many calories you can consume after exercise. i also use the Ultimate Thermofit from It Works Global. It is an all natural metabolism booster and appetite suppressant, that helps you burn an extra 225 calories a day. I am a distributor for It Works Global. They sell lots of natural products that aid in weight loss and muscle building. The most popular product is the Ultimate Body Applicator that tones and tightens the skin in 45 mins, reducing cellulite and stretch mark appearance. Please check out my website and FB page for more info.

HI!Great to hear you would like to begin working out! that's the first step. Good for you..Motivation is what gets u started, habit keeps you going...

Watch your diet and eat for your day. Go check your Body Composition at a Gym on a body composition machine... you will have a clearer idea of wad u are laking... do this in the morning, empty tummy n not when u are having mensus.

Follow a healthy diet plan and give in to some cheat days and reduce it to one cheat day and eventually, one cheat moment in a month or a week...

also, do not forget to enjoy food... ppl who overeat are greedy, not grateful... taking time to enjoy the different flavours you taste in a bite... u will break down food more efficiently..

lastly,HAve FUN! A GOOD WORKOUT IS A LIFESTYLE- once u start, u cant quit

thank you so much. it has been so frustrating trying to get myself on a routine. and i feel like i have no support system. my boyfriend is supportive in a "if it makes you happy, then do it" kind of way. but no one to work out with, or to work with me to help keep me motivated. and it is hard to do it by myself. i appreciate all of the kind words of wisdom from you all, and i am going to continue to try, even though the past few days i have felt like i have zero drive.

There's so much you can do with a set of dumbells. You can give yourself a full body workout, shoulders, biceps, triceps, chest, obliques, abs, bum and legs. You can walk or jog/run with them 2 to get your fitness level up. Babies are good too, they get heavier all the time so you use more weight every time you do it without realising.

I've always had a huge appetite, I'm very lucky I have been able to pretty much eat what I want without worrying about packing on the weight.

I'm easily bored too which is why when I go to the gym I do a different class everytime I go in. I have my regular favs and luckily the instructors mix up the routine every class.

I've been going to the gym for nearly 3 years. I started out once a week and gradually built my way up. It took me a year or so before I was able to build up the number of days and the intensity I was training at and once I was going 4 or 5 days a week it took another 6 months before I got to where I am now. I went from a chunky AUS size 10 to a slim toned AUS size (I am only short at 5'3 ao looked chubbier than I was). I know I didn't really need to loose weight but that was 18 months ago. I have abit of belly to loose which over xmas has crept back on but I'm going to work extra hard this year to beat it flab.

All I'm saying is it takes time and you won't see results over night but in the long run you will feel so much better for it.

Thank you both so much for your tips and encouragement. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one with portion control issues. Haha. I got some dumbbells for christmas, I have been trying a few videos I found on youtube. Its a lot of squats and lunges. I like to use my baby as a weight too. :) I think my biggest issue is sticking with something. I get bored. Or I don't see results immediately, I get discouraged and quit. I have been replacing hamburger with ground turkey and chicken. And have been trying to eat a lot of fish, and chicken breast. I try to drink more water, I don't drink soda or juice. I don't really drink a lot of fluids. I know that's a huge no-no. I just don't think about it most of the time. And late night snacking. Or kind of like "sleep snacking" I wake up in the middle of the night, and don't realize that I'm eating. I need to break those habits. Maybe those are the ones I will focus on first.

I think sometimes it depends on the type of person you are, some people need to do a 180 total change as soon as possible and other people need a sort of gradual lifestyle change.

I personally think you should try to make a couple of changes and work on those things so it becomes more of a lifestyle change and you don't 'relapse' back into old habits.

I would start by creating a food log, just for a week or two, where you see exactly what it is you're eating (don't change your eating habits just to try and look better, or leave things out!). Put the time and item (and possibly why you're eating, I know I'm a bored eater, and my sister is an emotional eater). That way you can actually see when or why you're eating certain things. Try to cut down on obvious fattening things and treat them as special treats instead of a snack. So you can eat a chocolate bar (or w/e) once a week instead of every day. Same with drinks, don't drink soda every day, try to drink water or possibly juice since soda is so sugary and bad for your body.

For working out it depends on your personality. I personally prefer doing weights because I enjoy being able to see results (I like seeing a chart that shows how much I could lift before and how much I can do now, whereas cardio it's harder to see results on paper). Most women tend to like cardio activites more, but incorporating weights can be a good thing. I would actually sign up for a fitness class that you think you'll enjoy. That way it's a scheduled activity once a week, as aposed to a gym membership where you keep saying I'll do it tomorrow I'll do it tomorrow.

There are lots of dance classes. In my area at least they've got pole dancing classes, and hip hop for adults, Zumba is pretty popular around here. Those type of dances also have less pressure to be really fit and if you've never worked out before you might dread going to a 'bootcamp' class or '20/20/20' etc. You'd be like I 'ain't doing this! This is just a starting point to try and make sure there's a fitness activity incorporated in your week, specifically schedule.

'Cause you have children it might be easier to get a gym membership (if you believe you'll use it) because certain ones have the babysitting included (YMCA's) and possibly childrens activiites depending on your kids age. They also have a variety of classes to take. Like I said, I suggest classes just because it can be so hard to be self-motivating. I like Yoga to which is a great starting point if you haven't worked out much.

I think it's really a lifestyle change and you have to work to figure out what's best with you. I would start with a 'class' like setting for some physical activity and keep going no matter how awful you perceive yourself to be. The more you go the easier it will get. Once you've started doing those type of things depending on what you can figure out is it better for me to have a gym membership or possibly try to do some fitness at home? At home there are lots of distractions though.

With food basically cut down on obvious foods that are bad for you, I can't tell you exactly what to eat but there are many healthy food recipes online. Try to figure out what types of food you're eating now that are very fattening and try to find alternatives to them or once again try to treat the food as something you'll eat occasionally instead of every week.

I gained a lot of weight after I had my son and I was eating tons of junk food, and I managed to lose 40 pounds once I cut back and started excercising. I actually got a workout program and did it at home and started to go to an adult gymnastics class and a trampoline class. I did a lot of weights at home so I find that's my favourite type of excercise. Just decide to make the change and do it! Oh and dono't buy junk food and have it in your house. I have like no self-control, I can't have food in my house that I'm only supposed to eat a little of. I don't even buy cookies anymore because I WILL eat the entire box within a couple of days. Just saying ha.